Stowage bins, such as those provided on commercial aircraft, typically incorporate a pivot assembly at the axis of rotation of the bin bucket. This assembly supports the bin load and allows the bucket to rotate about the axis of rotation in relation to a stationary bin housing.
It is preferred in such assemblies to be able to effectively control the opening rate of the stowage bin. Typical rotary bin dampers are relatively expensive in terms of cost and manufacture, relying upon relatively complex and largely metallic assemblies including a center splined shaft that typically receives both torque and radial loads.
In addition, these rotary bin dampers also typically utilize single fixed orifices, which means that the stowage bin opens inconsistently based on the weight that is actually contained within the bin. That is, the stowage bin opens slowly when the bin is empty as compared to when the bin is full.
It is therefore a general desire in the field to improve the manufacturability of the above-noted damping assemblies as well as to decrease the overall complexity thereof in order to reduce cost, while not sacrificing reliability.